[willowman]

Thought that would get your attention!
The reason I ask is because our garden was under several inches of water after the last snow melted (low lying Fenland area), so in theory all the ants nests, and we seem to have several, would have been flooded.
But, lo and behold, the other day I saw an ant strolling down the garden path. Presumably he came from a nest somewhere and was on the first recce of the year.
So how did they survive being under water for so long?
I hate the Bu****s, but perversely have an admiration for them. After we have all blown ourselves to smithereens they will still be knocking around, looking for aphids to milk.

[Stripey_cat]

Is there high ground nearby?  Or maybe they climbed a tree?

[poultrygeist]

Aliens.

Nuff said.

[SnooziSuzi]

I watched a documentary one time about those 'fire ants' in america.  They aparantly can make bridges out of themselves, sacrificing some along the way, in order to traverse a waterway 

[Teen76]

I believe they can swim and cope with me pouring boiling hot water on them.

I do admire them and don't harm them unless they are in the house, which we don't have a problem with thankfully.

[DIGGER]

yes

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1589516.htm

[Trillium]

As for the actual ant nests, they are always constructed inside so that natural rains and water will be diverted away from the living and breeding areas. Which is often why pouring anything down their holes rarely kills them off. 

[Stripey_cat]

If you dig out a foot or so of the top of the nest and then pour in your kettle, you get the *.

[richyrich7]

Like Trillium says and I think they build in high patches in their tunnels to create "air locks" clever little devils 

[willowman]

I knew they were clever, but not that clever. Brain the size of a full stop (period, for our US friends) and they can organize themselves and build nests like that. Amazing.
I did see it written that, out of all the species on earth, only humans and ants wage war on their own kind. Not just  minor skirmishes about food or territory, but actual planned warfare. As I said, you gotta admire them in a perverse sort of way.